Die Comic Sans Die: The Typography Thread

If you?re reading something, and it?s not written by hand or plane, it?s probably a typeface (commonly known as a font). Typography is an underappreciated, but essential part of communication ? especially in the digital age when anyone can choose from a large variety of fonts or even create their own. This thread is for questions, tips, and general discussion of the field of typography.

So we?re all on about the same page, here?s a few basic terms to know about typography.

Typeface: This is a set of characters (letters, numbers, symbols) that all go together.

Font: This is the file a computer uses to apply a typeface to something.

Serif: This can be a noun describing the little feet on some characters (seen below) or an adjective for type which utilizes serifs.

My favorite fonts to use when building web sites are Trebuchet MS and Tahoma for normal text, and Times New Roman and Georgia for titles. A good rule of thumb is to always use sans-serif fonts for normal text. Serif fonts should only be used in titles and large text.

Here is a nifty web site for keeping track of common fonts and font families for both Windows and Mac: http://www.ampsoft.net/webdesign-l/WindowsMacFonts.html

I seldom use Papyrus. It's really hard for me to make it look decent. Usually a more subtle font does the trick.

I do video editing and when I make titles, my directors generally want a specific font that they found on the computer they were working on. Bouncing the same project between Mac and PC computers it is a bit frustrating not have that font available sometimes. I had not realized how expensive it is to buy fonts!

Courier is standard for screenplays. I see it and I just automatically think "film industry".

I also read a lot of fanfiction and ff.net uses Lucida Grande. I don't like to read fanfiction in any other font any more.

I love the Star Wars (and Harry Potter) fonts out there! They are so fun to use, but I rarely get the opportunity.